Michael Bay Responds to ‘TMNT’ Alien Controversy & Villain Rumors

Infuriated fans swooped down on our report about producer Michael Bay’s comment concerning how the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action film reboot will change-up the title characters’ backstory by making them aliens. To say the very idea prompted a predominantly negative response from the Turtles-adoring masses, is to put it pretty mildly.

Bay has gone ahead and released an official statement in response to the controversy surrounding the new TMNT franchise installment. In addition to that tidbit, we’ve also gotten wind of some rumors (from a legitimate source) that help explain the planned change-up to the Turtles‘ origins.

While the very idea of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles being extraterrestrials seems to directly contradict the idea that the title characters are… well, mutant turtles, many fans have already pointed out (in the comics) the mutagen which was the catalyst for our favorite reptilian martial artists’ “evolution” was created at the Techno Cosmic Research Institute (T.C.R.I.), a secret base of operations for an alien race known as the Utroms. So aliens are indeed pretty standard elements of the Turtles mythos.

It’s best you bear that in mind while reading Bay’s response to the whole TMNT/aliens controversy:

“Fans need to take a breath, and chill. They have not read the script. Our team is working closely with one of the original creators of [Teenage Mutant] Ninja Turtles to help expand and give a more complex back story. Relax, we are including everything that made you become fans in the first place. We are just building a richer world.”

Yes, we know all too well that Bay’s assurance about the TMNT property being treated with respect – and that the reboot will simply “expand” on the canon alien-centric backstory for the Turtles – isn’t going to mean much (if anything) to his detractors. All the same, he’s only a producer on the Turtles film – as we pointed out in our initial report on this matter, it’s the reboot’s screenwriting duo of Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) who are ultimately going to be responsible for making this idea work.

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Krang in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Reboot?

First Showing has been informed by its sources that a classic Turtles baddie – the Utrom-like Krang – might be making his live-action debut in the upcoming movie reboot. Furthermore, the plan is supposedly for the Turtles to be “inter-dimensional beings” (like Krang) who end up making their way to Earth (presumably).

Now, although having Krang appear in the TMNT reboot seems like an obvious direction to take, given the “Turtles as aliens” angle in the story, it’s partially for that reason that this particular rumor shouldn’t be brushed aside so easily. It might be tricky to make the character’s classic appearance (as a pink, slimy, brain-shaped creature) fly in live-action form, even in a movie that features extraterrestrial creatures that look like giant turtles – so, if Krang does show up in the reboot, he could have a completely new physical design.

Will Krang appear in the 'TMNT' reboot?

A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie that plays up the franchise’s classic sci-fi aspects like Krang isn’t (per se) a bad approach to take – though, that plan could lend itself to a comparatively more kid-friendly and readily marketable Turtles flick. In other words, the TMNT franchise reboot may end up being modeled after Bay’s Transformers movies, when all is said and done.

Passing over the fact that many fans are really not going to like that idea (and not without good reason, if we’re being honest), such a final product would also be a far cry from the grittier and more violent martial arts movie (yes, one with giant mutant turtles) that many fans were hoping to see – especially given that Battle Los Angeles and Wrath of the Titans helmer Jonathan Liebesman is probably going to be sitting at the helm. C’est la vie, it seems…

We will see how it all pans out when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot hits theaters in the U.S. on December 25th, 2013.

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xalener3 years ago

So what now? It’s some alien slime instead of radioactive waste that mutates the tu–

You know what? That’s not bad. Certainly feels more “right” than a tube falling off of a truck into a sewer that also contains turtles. I wonder if that’s actually what they’re doing.

me too,really. i´ve watched it after 12hour midnight with a friend and there were so many scary and surreal moments . i hope they go on with some more parts and jackie earle haley(is his name right so?)as fred.krueger.

the new nightmare blew dick. It was a scooby do mystery with less likable characters. My wife (who will not watch the original at night out of fear lol) and I laughed our way thru the boring horribly acted corny movie (late at night, no fear from my wife with this remake). Pure s***. Michael Bay sucks.

YOU ALL ARE A BUNCH OF 5 YEAR OLD FOOLS. JUST GROWN UP ALREADY IT’S JUST A DAMN MOVIE. LEAVING CHILDISH COMMENTS. IT’S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. DON’T KNOW WHAT THE MOVIE LOOKS BUT YOU FOOLS ARE SO QUICK TO JUDGE. YES WE GET IT IT’S BAY WHO CARES LIFE GOES ON.

i don´t understand the m.bay haters,the transformers movies were awesome and all people who don´t like his movies,are going to cinemas to watch his movies. if it weren´t so all his movies had became flops,but that was never happened.

“many fans have already pointed out (in the comics) the mutagen which was the catalyst for our favorite reptilian martial artists’ “evolution” was created at the Techno Cosmic Research Institute (T.C.R.I.), a secret base of operations for an alien race known as the Utroms.”

There is, however, quite a difference between that (Earth-born turtles mutated by Utrom ooze) and saying they’re aliens.

Personally, I think Bay is full of it and his comments do nothing to dissuade that opinion. His prior work has done little encourage me, either. Haven’t seen “Dark of the Moon” yet, but that first Transformers movie was mediocre and “Revenge of the Fallen” was a mess, so I am hesitant about his involvement in an update of another classic 80s franchise. Still, I’d rather have more details than presently available. I also think it would be better to see the finished product before condemning it. Crazy ideas *can* work, as evidenced by the fab four in green up there. It’s the execution that matters.

I’m just really hoping he doesn’t add a human equivalent of Sam Witwicky into the series to make it more “accessible” since doing that to Transformers killed any chance the Audobots had at character development. This has to be about the Turtles (even if they’re aliens…)

The turtles come with two of those built in. April O’Neil and Casey Jones. They’re not as idiotic as Witwicky, but they’re human characters to make the transition into a world of mutant turtles accessible.

You’re totally right. To clarify, I don’t want the human characters to become the focus instead of the Turtles. The original ninja turtles movie did really well introducing the Turtles via April and Casey, but then the turtles took over. I just don’t want it to become Transformers where Sam’s parental and work problems become more important than, you know, Optimus Prime.

Well, if you look at the previous movies, they always had a human character there to associate with – “make it accessible” as you put it. And even in the cartoons you had April. So I am pretty sure we’ll get a human companion. Question is, will he/she be just as insufferable as Sam Witwicky??

If Chris Nolan came out with this kind of idea nobody would be offended, the only wrong thing Michael Bay did is that HE said something like this. It looks like it’s cool to be Michael Bay & George Lucas hater and James Cameron lover these days. Well, I’m not! Bay literally brought TF back from the dead and made three not perfect but fun movies. And everyone wanted him for TF, Hasbro wanted him, Spielberg wanted him and now when we finally have TF trilogy after 20+ years, you so called fans, are spiting on them! I also wanted TF movie and I was very entertained after seeing each one of them, felt like a little kid again. And if you hate them why are you watching them?! Nobody wants to watch a bad movie, remeber Batman & Robin. Still TF made a lot of money, that means something.

I support Bay, it’s time for you guys to chill out, I’ve been TNMT fan for 20+ years and I’m OK with this idea, Turtles need a fresh start, why not try something new?! Remember that every TNMT movie sucked it’s time for a fresh start. Personally I would like to see Bay directing TNMT because he can make a fun movie but Liebesman’s are so boring. I hope for the best for Wrath Of The Titans.

No if anyone else did this I would still say the same thing. If any of these film makers has all these original ideas then I say run with them yourself if you have confidence in them. Thing with Lucas (for better or for worse at times), Cameron and even Nolan is that they have put there own ideas up on screen and haven’t really done the re-hash thing as much as some other directors have become comfortable doing.

To take your analogy about what name is attached to something, if Bay or anyone pitched an idea about alien amphibians or reptiles, that crash on Earth, learn or know martial arts and fight villain X,Y,&Z, do you think anyone would even be talking about it? I doubt it would get past a meeting at the studio, when they tack a known name on ideas and scripts that they can tweak to fit them then they can sell it.

Completely disagree about that. I don’t care if it’s Cameron, Bay, Nolan, Spielberg, etc… but it just so happens that the guy most of us dislike (Bay) is in fact responsible for this. But even if it wasn’t Bay… if it was Nolan for example, I’d still be pissed off at the responsible party (whether it was the guy who screwed up the Transformers, or the guy who makes the awesome Batman movies). A bad idea is a bad idea… doesn’t matter who or where it comes from.

Sorry but last I checked, turtles are not alien beings. That’s fine, add in Krang and his ooze. But keep the turtles just that, turtles. The four have NEVER been aliens ( no has Splinter) . And the reason this bothers me so much is because I have loved the T.M.N.T. since I was little. If it’s supposed to be better then anything we’ve seen then go by the source material.

how does the original story make much sense… a kung fu rat just so happens to find turtles in radioactive ooze in a sewer.. plus this rat knows kung fu lmao i mean really… like i said before i love tmnt… but it’s not as bad as people are making it out to be… they havent even finished the story yet… and half the people complaining are gonna end up liking it… besides minor nitpicking just wait for a trailer or something…. and hush.. opinions are out there at then end of the day but it’s not that serious…. if it was Christopher Nolan no one would complain… plus nolan makes his movies more real world based… so i still don’t see the problem in all then whining and o he’s gonna mess up no one knows anything right now but the words that were spoken… get off the man’s nuts and just appreciate the creativity… seeems to me like everyone is expecting the 90’s movie to be remade again and that’s not the point whats wrong with new material

mongoose - one of the few people who thought Green lantern was ok3 years ago

You are really going to lecture us on far fetched origin stories with things like radioactive spiders, aliens becoming nigh invulnerable because of our yellow sun and gamma radiation exposure turning someone into a rage monster? How is any of that more feasible?

Now I’m not saying that a rat learning martial arts isn’t a bit out there but the rest is pretty straight forward for a superhero origin story. Plus you are also forgetting the alternate explanation that has Splinter mutating from a human into a rat which might be easier to believe.

everyone is not a fanboy…. so you have to look at films beyond what you think it should be like. you may hate transformers but there are people who like it .. people like Micheal bay just like some don’t it happens but at then end of the day who’s making the movie not u so stop whining and either go see the movie or don’t 6+ billion people on this planet not everyone is gonna agree or disagree about the film but it no point in bashing the man or his work.. because somewhere someone loved it and hated it… THAT’S EVERY FILM EVER MADE!!!!

mongoose - one of the few people who thought Green lantern was ok3 years ago

wow, too many reply threads to just simply tag mine at the end of one of them so…..I agree with most others and think Bay is full of it. Using the more politically correct term, “inter-dimensional beings” is sill calling them aliens. This is not expanding on the material, it’s destroying it.

Doing anything else other than following the correct origin story will not have them be actual turtles, mutants or NINJAS. I can see it now, they will also be wielding blaster pistols and light sabers! Lets also not forget this will remove things like Splinter from the equation and why on earth would these aliens even be named after famous Renaissance painters? No, it’s just wrong on so many levels.

I do find it sort of ironic though that many of you who are balking at this idea also supported the XMFC franchise. This movie arguably tampered with the X-Men canon just as much but yet only a minority of people were willing to call it out for being the abomination it was.

mongoose - one of the few people who thought Green lantern was ok3 years ago

oh, you did that just because of the addition to my name 😉

Notice though I said, “ok”, not great or a piece of cinematic perfection. I had plenty of issues with GL (don’t get me started, especially on the Sinestro origin) but it was not the complete turkey some would have had you believe.

If I was relating the two however I would say what’s being proposed here to the TMNT would be akin to turning the Green Lantern Corps into the “Turquoise Beacons” (because it’s a more awesome color and lanterns are so old and out of date)

who’s really said it’s a bad idea besides fan boy how do u know it wont work…. just like i dont know if it will but there’s not point in people getting so worked up over a movie…seem’s to me everyone’s acting 5 over the fact that their aliens so WHAT!!!.. i wish people stop trying to justify the point of view when they don’t have any good reason… boo whoo transfromer’s wasn’t the movie u grew up too and thing’s change… half of the films that’s out aren’t like they were when we kids.. look past you ego and pride.. thing change’s character ‘s change that’s kinda the whole point in being creative.. if you take that away.. then everyone making the same thing over over and over with no changes

KRANG IS NOT GOING TO BE HARD TO MAKE! IT’S A FRIGGIN CHEWED UP PIECE OF FRIGGIN GUM!!! IF THESE STOOGES CAN MAKE A COMPLEX MOVING AND FULLY TRANSFORMABLE OPTIMUS PRIME, WHY CAN’T THEY MAKE KRANG LOOK LIKE HE IS SUPPOSED TO LOOK? THAT’S HORSE CRAP! HE’S A BRAIN WITH A FACE. HOLLYWOOD WAS MAKING CREATURE EFFECTS FAR SUPERIOR TO THIS 25 YEARS AGO!

Why can’t the just make a feature length animated movie that had to do with other dimensional beings? Oh right they did that and the film flopped. Just make it like the original film with even better story.

Yes. Aliens and inter-dimensions are apart of the original story line of TMNT. But, they are the Teenage MUTANT Ninja Turtles, not the teenage ALIEN ninja turtles. Although teenage alien something might be a good spin-off.

I say take out the Mutant part and call it Turtle-Like Alien Ninja Teenagers. They don’t even need to be Teenagers, let them be Turtle-Like Alien Ninjas. Call it what it really is because it’s def not TMNT.

Like Bon Jovi said, we need to take a breath and chill out. This whole thing is in capable hands. Michael Bay producing, some guy who did a Mission Impossible script has the writing duties, and the guy who directed Clash of the Titans is directing…. WHAT COULD GO WRONG.

Why does it matter what Bay does!? if you are complaining about the TMNT origins you are too old! TMNT had a lame story to begin with! You know its gonna be a action movie that will keep most entertained! …that will have a new cartoon and video game to follow!